– 1 –

Introduction
Almost three-month-old Lilly lies on a cuddly green blanket, her
Lilly pad, watching the action around her. Older children stop by
to offer toys, read stories, sing songs, and marvel at her tiny fingers
and toes. Her busy eyes watch the children as they move in and out
of her line of sight. She also gazes at the gliding bursts of color in
the nearby aquarium and the dance of sunlight from the windows
across the room. Her arms and legs pump with exuberant joy, and
she vocalizes her good spirits. Then, when she has had enough,
when her busy mind and body are tired, her head drifts to the right,
and she falls asleep.
Brenden has been in constant motion his entire life—a little more
than a year. He rolled over, sat, stood, and walked earlier than aver-
age. He is usually headed somewhere in a hurry. He roars along,
an irresistible force looking for an object to move. He loves to be
outside. Like a puppy, a chocolate Lab or maybe a Saint Bernard,
his ears perk up and he heads to the door when he sees someone
put on her shoes. Outside, he is in four-wheel drive going over,
under, or straight through anything in his path. “Around” is not in
his vocabulary. Bumps, bruises, and scratches cover his body, like
medals pinned to the chest of a great explorer. He slows down here
Babies-Int.indd 1 4/29/09 10:02:44 AM